ACT Test Dates 2026: Full 2026-27 Schedule & Deadlines

Last reviewed: August 7, 2026, against ACT's official registration site. All seven dates below are confirmed, not projected.

The list comes first, then the two things date pages usually leave out: the five-week deadline math that makes the ACT feel earlier than it looks, and a date-by-date read on early application timing.

When Are the 2026-27 ACT Test Dates?

ACT runs seven national administrations in 2026-27, all Saturdays.¹

Fall 2026:

September 19, 2026. Register by August 14; late deadline September 1.
October 17, 2026. Register by September 11; late deadline September 29.
December 12, 2026. Register by November 6; late deadline November 29.

Winter through summer 2027:

February 27, 2027. Register by January 22; late deadline February 9.
April 10, 2027. Register by March 5; late deadline March 23.
June 12, 2027. Register by May 7; late deadline May 25.
July 10, 2027. Register by June 4; late deadline June 22.

Deadlines close at 11:59 p.m. Central Time, and late registration adds a fee.¹ Fees are set annually, so confirm current amounts on ACT's registration page when you sign up, and note that fee waivers through school counselors cover the test cost for students who qualify.²

Did You Know

ACT registration closes about five weeks before test day, while SAT registration stays open until about two weeks out. Families juggling both tests miss ACT dates most often for exactly this reason: the ACT deadline is nearly always the first one on the calendar, arriving while the test still feels far away.

The Deadline Math for Early Applicants

Work backward from a November 1 Early Decision or Early Action deadline and the fall calendar sorts itself out.

September 19 is the safe early-round date. Multiple-choice scores typically begin posting within a few weeks of test day, which puts a September score in hand with October to spare.³ It also preserves October 17 as a genuine retake option.

October 17 is the edge case. Scores from October administrations have historically taken longer to process than summer ones, and a slow release can drift past November 1.³ Treat October as your early-round date only if the college confirms it accepts scores arriving after the deadline, which some do for applicants who list the test when applying.

December 12 is for regular decision. It serves January deadlines comfortably and is the last date many seniors use. After that, the February through July dates belong to juniors and to seniors at colleges with unusually late testing policies.

Important

The registration deadline for the September 19 test is August 14, 2026. Seniors planning a September ACT are making that decision in the first half of August, during the same weeks the Common App opens and essay drafts start. Put the date on the family calendar now, because nothing about early senior fall will remind you.

Which Date Fits Your Class Year

Class of 2027 seniors: September for early rounds, December for regular decision, October as the pressure valve between them. If you have not yet taken a first ACT, September becomes your baseline and December your retake, which is workable but leaves no slack. Our ACT prep guide covers how to use a short runway well.

Class of 2028 juniors: your first attempt belongs in spring 2027, on February 27, April 10, or June 12. By then coursework has covered nearly everything the test asks. If your state runs a school-day ACT for juniors in spring, treat that free sitting as the baseline, then choose one national date to improve on it. Start with real released material from our free ACT practice tests guide before paying for anything.

Deciding between tests: one timed practice section of each settles more than a month of internet debate. Our SAT versus ACT comparison shows how to read the results, and the parallel SAT calendar lives on our SAT test dates 2026-2027 page.

July Is the Most Underrated Date on the Calendar

The July 10, 2027 administration sits after finals, AP exams, and graduation season, when a rising senior can prepare with no competing schoolwork. It returns a score before application season truly starts, which turns fall testing into an option instead of a requirement.

Two July details worth knowing. First, July national testing is now available in New York as of the July 2027 administration, retiring years of advice that New York students had to travel for a summer ACT.¹ Second, the June 4 registration deadline for the July test arrives while school is still in session, so the decision has to happen before summer brain sets in.

Retakes, Superscores, and When to Stop

Plan two attempts with two to three months of targeted work between them, aimed at your weakest section. That spacing exists to let preparation change the result rather than hoping variance does.

Many colleges superscore the ACT, combining your best section scores across dates into a new composite. Superscoring rewards the planned retake: a student who fixes one section on the second sitting improves the composite even if other sections hold flat. Confirm each college's policy on its admissions site, since acceptance of superscores varies by school.

Set the stopping point before you start. A target built from the middle ranges of colleges you actually want, which our guide to what counts as a good ACT score walks through, tells you when another sitting stops being worth the Saturday.

Expert Tip

Register for your test and calendar your next decision at the same time. When you book September, add the October 17 regular deadline of September 11 to your calendar with a note that says "only if September felt bad." Retake decisions made within days of walking out of the test are better informed than ones made when scores finally post.

Accommodations and State Testing

If you need accommodations, start the request through your school well before your registration deadline. Requests go through ACT's accommodations system, approvals can take weeks in busy periods, and an approval from another testing program does not transfer automatically.

Students in school-day testing states get one free administration, usually in spring of junior year, with scores that colleges accept exactly like national ones. The right way to use it: treat it as a fully real attempt, then schedule at most one national date afterward to improve a specific section rather than rolling the dice on the whole test again.

Already Planning Next Year?

ACT has published projected national dates for 2027-28, seven administrations following the same September-through-July pattern, pending final confirmation. The full projected list and how firm it is live on our ACT test dates 2027-2028 page.

FAQ

What are the ACT test dates for 2026?

The remaining 2026 national dates are September 19, October 17, and December 12. The 2027 dates are February 27, April 10, June 12, and July 10. All seven are confirmed on ACT's registration site, and all are Saturday national administrations.¹

When is the ACT registration deadline?

About five weeks before each test: August 14 for September 19, September 11 for October 17, and November 6 for December 12. Spring and summer deadlines are January 22, March 5, May 7, and June 4. Late registration runs roughly two more weeks with an added fee, closing at 11:59 p.m. Central.¹

What is the last ACT date for November 1 early deadlines?

September 19, 2026 is the safe answer, with scores typically posting within a few weeks of test day.³ October 17 only works for early rounds at colleges that explicitly accept scores arriving after the deadline, so confirm that policy school by school before relying on it.

How many times can you take the ACT?

There is no meaningful limit, but two well-spaced attempts with targeted preparation between them is the plan that pays. Colleges that superscore combine your best sections across dates, which makes a planned second sitting more valuable than repeated unplanned ones.

Is there a July ACT?

Yes, July 10, 2027, with a June 4 registration deadline. July is the lowest-conflict date on the calendar for rising seniors, and it is now available in New York as of the July 2027 administration, which was not true in earlier years.¹

Do state school-day ACT scores count for college?

Yes. Scores from state-administered school-day testing report to colleges the same way national scores do. Use the free school-day sitting as your real baseline, then improve on it with at most one targeted national date.